Longtime racing official Wilfert dies at age 67

Gary Wilfert, who worked for decades as a high-ranking racing official in Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio prior to his retirement in 2009, died Sunday night at his home in Greenfield, Ind., after years of declining health. He was 67.

Born in Cincinnati, Wilfert began his racetrack career as a backstretch worker before becoming an assistant with the Kentucky division of the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association. He eventually worked in various racing-office positions, mostly in Kentucky, serving as racing secretary at Turfway Park during the track’s heyday in the 1980s and ‘90s under owner Jerry Carroll.

Wilfert later served as the Turfway general manager before moving to Indiana to become a senior state steward at Hoosier Park and Indiana Downs.

“He was fair with everybody, played no favorites,” said longtime associate Tim Day. “He had a knack for being clued in about everything. He could be a little rough around the edges, but I think it’s fair to say Gary was very much respected and well-liked.”

Wilfert was known for a keen sense of humor. In 1992, he promised trainer Lynn Whiting he would dance on his Churchill Downs barn roof if Lil E. Tee, who had won Turfway’s Jim Beam Stakes, pulled an upset in the Kentucky Derby. Wilfert, despite an oversized girth, delivered on that promise, performing before a gleeful audience while attired in the orange-and-white silks of owner Cal Partee.

Wilfert is survived by his wife, Mary; two daughters, Bridget and Kerry; and a granddaughter, Izzy. His son, Alex, precedes him in death. The body was cremated and there will be no memorial service.